Insulated container pack

ABSTRACT

A hand-carriable, insulated container pack for holding the temperature of food or drink containers for several hours without the use of either a hot or cold agent. Specifically, the container is a Styrofoam block having six independent thermal chambers which seat six upwardly open cups. These cups hold a twelve-ounce beer (beverage) or food can, or a standard throwaway glass beer bottle. The lid is likewise a block of Styrofoam with cavities matching the thermal chambers in the lower block and a rope bail is the means for holding the lid to the base when it is carried.

United States Patent 1 1 1 1 3,848,766

.Ganti et al. Nov. 19, 1974 [5 INSULATED CONTAINER PACK 3,734,336 5/1973Rankow et al. 220/9 F [75] Inventors: l2gvi dl awren ce antt l n FOREIGNPATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Frederick Stone, both of Keitering; TimothyJoseph Townsend, 230,245 3/ 1944 Sw1tzerland 206/4 sprmgboro an of OhmPrimary Examiner-George E. Lowrance [73] Assignee: Said Gantt andTownsend Assors. Assistant ExaminerDouglas B. Farrow to TrianceEnterprises, Inc., Attorney, Agent, or FirmBiebel, French & Bugg 221M hi2.. [22] Filed: June 29, 1972 ABSTRACT [21] APPL 267,635 Ahand-carriable, insulated container pack for holding the temperature offood or drink containers for sev- ,eral hours without the use of eithera hot or cold 220/9 220/171 220/94 agent. Specifically, the container isa Styrofoam block 1 229/DIG- 1 229/52 AC havingsix independent thermalchambers which seat ix upwardly open cups These cups a twelvel9=117220/9 F1 1041 ounce beer (beverage) or food can, or a standard 7220/103; 206/4, 46 FC; 217/125? throwaway glass beer bottle. The lid islikewise a D1G' 52 AC block of Styrofoam with cavities matching thethermal chambers. in the lower block and a rope bail is the ReferencesCited means for holding the lid to the base when it is car- I UNITEDSTATES PATENTS ried.

2,96l,l24 11/1960 Hunter et al 220/104 3,285,455 11/1966 Pewitt 220/9 F5 Clams 4 Drawmg F'gures 3,491,913 1 1970 Giraudet et al. 220/9 FINSULATED CONTAINER PACK BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION The inventionresides in a block of low thermalconductive material having sixindependent thermal chambers within which are cups made of like materialeach of which holds a standard twelve-ounce can or bottle with a ropebail for carrying such a container pack. The ingredients within the cupscan be kept hot or cold simultaneously. This invention is not to belimited to twelve-ounce cans/bottles but also applies to any capacitythermal chamber which for example could maintain the temperature of hotbaked beans and cold potato salad simultaneously for picnic purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thepack with one unopened beer can in the pack and one opened beer can in acup that has been removed from the pack;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view with portions of the lid and basebroken away;

FIG. 3 shows the two ends of the rope bail being held by one hand; and

FIG. 4 shows the pack with the rope bail slung over the shoulder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, the numeralidentifies a block of insulating material, in this case, Styrofoam, butneed not necessarily be so. In the block are six upwardly open cavitiessuch as 12, the diameter of which is slightly greater than the outsidediameter of the cups such as 14. These cups have an integral bottom andare likewise made of Styrofoam but need not necessarily be so. Theinside diameter of the cups is slightly in excess of the greatestoutside diameter of the standard twelveounce throwaway beer bottle. Thedepth of the cup is sufficiently less than the height of the same sothat one may drink directly from an open can as 18 without the lips orthe'chin engaging the cup.

A lid made of insulating material such as Styrofoam has a peripheralflange 22 which seats snugly on the shoulder 24 of the base so that aminimum leakage of air between the wall 26 and the shoulder 24 andflange 22 occurs. The surface 28 on the underside of the lid seats flushon the surface 30 of the upper side of the base. Six upwardly directedcavities such as 32 are mounted in the lid and each possesses one step34 which seats on the upper rim 36 of a cup. By the cups extending fromthe base into the lid, the six independent thermal cavities are formed.At the top level of the can, there is a truncated cone 38 whichaccommodates the throwaway beer bottle which is slightly taller than thecan. 7

A pair of holes 40 vertically through the base are in alignment with apair of similar holes 42 through the lid, see FIG. 3. The externalopening of all of the holes is slightly chamferred as at 44 so as tofacilitate the bending of a rope bail 46. The rope bail is a simple 6foot length of rope. The ends 48 and 50 are either knotted or heldtogether by any suitable fastening 52. Between the base and the lid,there are no hinges.

FIG. 3 illustrates the hand carry where a single hand holds two loops ofthe rope which is substantially centered in the bottom of the base. FIG.4 illustrates the shoulder carry where one loop 54 of the rope bail 46is over the mans shoulder while the other loop 56 lies in a transversechannel 58 in the bottom of the base, see FIG. 2.

The advantages of the applicants pack are several.

Firstly, the provision of six independent thermal chambers to holdinsulating cups has the effect of improving the practicability ofinserting a warm can or bottle in a base along with a cold can orbottle. A fisherman likes to have a can of hot boullion, as well as acan of cold beer. Another advantage is that the pack, due to its uniquedesign, does not require the use of a cooling or heating media tomaintain the desired temperature.

Thus, the cost and inconvenience of such products as ice are avoided.Another advantage is that the separate cups do not drain the heat orcold from fingers and hands into the can or bottle when picked up asthey will continue to insulate the beverage from the atmosphere whileoutside the pack. A fisherman may spend considerable time emptying acan/bottle which he removes several times from the pack and returns tothe pack which he closes. The important warming or cooling fac tor wouldbe the fingers and the atmosphere, and the cup protects against both aswell as protects the hands from either hot or cold. Another advantage ofthe cup is the fact that the depth of the cup is less than the height ofthe can or bottle, so that one may apply his lips to the edge of the canor bottle without encountering the cup. As for the rope bail, it has adual purpose.

If one has a free hand, the hand carry of FIG. 3 may be used. However,if one does not have a free hand, the pack may be slung over theshoulder as in FIG. 4, and all that is needed is some steadying forcewhile walking with it.

We claim:

1. A food and/or beverage pack for holding food or drink containerscomprising a block of low thermal conductivity material, said blockhaving a plurality of cavities therein, said cavities beingupwardly-open through the upper surface of said block and being adaptedto seat cups therein, cups for holding said containers made of lowthermal conductivity material seated upwardly-open in each said cavity,the height of said cups being such that a cup holding a container may bepicked up with the container in the cup and the container will continueto be insulated from the hand and the atmosphere, said cups constructedfor seating and exposing containers so that human lips may engage theirrims without engaging the cups, and a lid having downwardly directedcavities matching those in said block and being directed through thebottom of the underside of said lid, said lid cavities being capable ofreceiving the tops of said containers and cups and having shouldersseatable on the rims of said cups when said cups are seated in thematching block cavities, said underside surface of said lid seatingessentially flush on the upper surface of said block so thatsaidmatching block and lid cavities form independent thermal cavities.

2. An insulated container pack comprising:

a. a base formed of a material of low thermal conductivity,

b. a plurality of upwardly opening cavities in said base extendingdownwardly into said base from an upper surface thereof,

0. a lid fonned of a material of low thermal conductivity,

d. said lid having a lower surface abutting said upper surface of saidbase,

e. a plurality of downwardly directed cavities formed in said lid inregistration with said cavities in said base,

f. a plurality of upwardly opening cups formed of a material of lowthermal conductivity,

g. said cups having a height greater than the depth of the basecavities, w

h. said cups having an outside diameter slightly less than and beingreceived in said base cavities,

i. said cups extending from said base cavities into opposed lid cavitiesand forming independent thermal cavities of each opposed pair of baseand lid cavities,

j. said outer diameter of said cups being approximately equal to butslightly less than the inner diameter of said lid cavities therebyforming a thermal barrier between opposing portions of the outersurfaces of said cups and the inner surfaces of said lid cavities, and

k. upper portions of said lid cavities extending upwardly beyond upperrims of said cups and accommodating upper ends of containers seated insaid cups and projecting above said upper rims thereof.

thermal-conductivity is Styrofoam.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PatentNo. 3 8,7665 'Dated 11-19-74 Inventor(s) D. L. Gantt T. J. "Townsend, and D. F.Stone It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patentand that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover page, after [73] Assignee: "Said Gantt and Townsend Assors.To Triance Enterprises, Inc'., Dayton, Ohio'" should read --Tri anceEnterprises, Inc., Dayton, 0hio--.

On the cover page, in the upper left hand corner, underneath the wordsU'. S. Patent, "Ganti et a1" should read-Gantt et al-.

Signed and sealed this 3th day of April 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

- MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officerand Trademarks USCOMM-DC B057 G PGO FORM PC4050 (IO-69) I ILI.GOVIINIINY manna omc: nu o-qu-su.

1. A food and/or beverage pack for holding food or drink containers comprising a block of low thermal conductivity material, said block having a plurality of cavities therein, said cavities being upwardly-open through the upper surface of said block and being adapted to seat cups therein, cups for holding said containers made of low thermal conductivity material seated upwardly-open in each said cavity, the height of said cups being such that a cup holding a container may be picked up with the container in the cup and the container will continue to be insulated from the hand and the atmosphere, said cups constructed for seating and exposing containers so that human lips may engage their rims without engaging the cups, and a lid having downwardly directed cavities matching those in said block and being directed through the bottom of the underside of said lid, said lid cavities being capable of receiving the tops of said containers and cups and having shoulders seatable on the rims of said cups when said cups are seated in the matching block cavities, said underside surface of said lid seating essentially flush on the upper surface of said block so that said matching block and lid cavities form independent thermal cavities.
 2. An insulated container pack comprising: a. a base formed of a material of low thermal conductivity, b. a plurality of upwardly opening cavities in said base extending downwardly into said base from an upper surface thereof, c. a lid formed of a material of low thermal conductivity, d. said lid having a lower surface abutting said upper surface of said base, e. a plurality of downwardly directed cavities formed in said lid in registration with said cavities in said base, f. a plurality of upWardly opening cups formed of a material of low thermal conductivity, g. said cups having a height greater than the depth of the base cavities, h. said cups having an outside diameter slightly less than and being received in said base cavities, i. said cups extending from said base cavities into opposed lid cavities and forming independent thermal cavities of each opposed pair of base and lid cavities, j. said outer diameter of said cups being approximately equal to but slightly less than the inner diameter of said lid cavities thereby forming a thermal barrier between opposing portions of the outer surfaces of said cups and the inner surfaces of said lid cavities, and k. upper portions of said lid cavities extending upwardly beyond upper rims of said cups and accommodating upper ends of containers seated in said cups and projecting above said upper rims thereof.
 3. The pack of claim 2 further comprising: a. aligned pairs of holes through said lid and said base, and b. a rope bail extending through said holes to facilitate carrying of said pack.
 4. The pack of claim 2 further comprising: a. interfitting, peripheral flange and shoulder means formed on said lid and said base to minimize air leakage into and out of said pack.
 5. The pack of claim 2 wherein the material of low thermal-conductivity is Styrofoam. 